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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bat — the animal
  3. rock — a stone
  4. court — of law
  5. race — humankind
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. bound — tied together
  8. tube — a container
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. race — the arms race
  11. toast — bread
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bound — obliged
  14. club — for dancing
  15. race — a contest
  16. tube — the underground
  17. club — a group
  18. court — of a king
  19. rock — music
  20. bound — certain
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. court — for sport
  24. club — for golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com